Sevilla is such a beautiful city that you could easily spend a week there. Sevilla is said to be the most Spanish town in Spain. With all the flamenco on the streets and lively town squares it is easy to believe it. Here are the top five sights to visit. This is ideal if you do not have a lot of time for your visit. Like for us, this was just a stopover on our way to the Costa del Sol beaches. Have a look at our top 5 tips for visiting Sevilla.
Accommodation in Seville
We flew with Ryanair via Stansted to Seville. The flight times suited us best and the price was better for us. We prefer to be stingy with the flights and spend more on the accommodation. Our accommodation in Seville was actually quite cheap, and this was without breakfast. The location was excellent, within walking distance from all the main sights. The Hotel Goya is a 2-star. Our room was tiny, but it had aircon. There were breakfast places nearby. I booked this hotel from Hotels.com because when joining their Awards Programme, you can get member discounts and awards. I was able to book free accommodation nightwith them (after ten hotel nights!). In the morning we enjoyed smoothies and bagels. We visited nearby cafes such as La Mala Brunch and Cafe Jester on the opposite side of the street.
1. The Cathedral and La Giralda
The number one sight is the Cathedral and the Giralda. It is advisable to dress properly for these by covering the shoulders and knees to show respect.
2. Plaza de España
Number two is Plaza de España built in 1929 with all the beautiful alcoves representing different provinces in Spain. There might be small flamenco shows on the plaza, if you are lucky. A river surrounds the square. The Maria Luisa Park, which is nearby, is vast and very beautiful to visit.
3. Royal Alcazar
I personally loved our number three sight of Royal Alcazar. You can book the tickets in advance on the website link for a swift entry. It is bit of a maze and itfeels like the building expands after every doorway to a secret garden.
The arabic architectural influence can be easily seen in the porticos and ceiling.
4. Setas de Sevilla
Number four is Setas de Sevilla or Metropol Parasol by other name. The wooden structure is actually made of Finnish pine wood so as a Finn I am very proud of it. They say that three trees were planted for each fallen tree in the same forest where the pines were taken. You can check our Instagram for a short video clip I took there. There is a walkway on the top of the “mushrooms.” You can access it on the underground floor. Take the lift to get there. Somehow we managed to miss the Encarnacion Market. It would be worth a visit as well. We have to go back at some point!
5. Archivo de Indias, Maria Luisa Park or Museu de Bellas Artes? It is up to you!
Number five I leave up to you. Is it the Archivo de Indias you fancy or the Maria Luisa Park? Is it the Museu de Bellas Artes you prefer? Would you rather spend time in the restaurants in the Santa Cruz area? This is where our Hotel Goya was conveniently located. In any case have a lovely visit and hope these tips help you to get started with your travel plans!
Sevilla Food and Drinks
Sevilla is a place where you can enjoy tasty tapas. You can also savor a refreshing Tinto de Verano (red wine with lemonade) on a hot day. As said earlier, there are wonderful restaurants near the cathedral in the Santa Cruz area. Bodega Santa Cruz (Las Columnas) is a great example of a tapas bar. You can chill there and enjoy wonderful tasty food with reasonable prices.
Moving on to Costa del Sol
We spent some days in hot and busy Sevilla. After that, we took a train to Malaga. From Malaga, we traveled on the Cercania local train to Torremuelle. We stayed at this wonderful hotel by the sea Benalma Hotel Costa del Sol. We just relaxed, swimming and shopping in Fuengirola (we took a local bus there). I booked this via hotels.com. We flew home from Malaga. It was easy to get to the airport with the Cercania again. We had a cheaper 2-star hotel in Seville. Therefore, we were able to splash out a bit on this one.
Further travel tips
Check out also our blog about Discovering Renaissance Art – top five destinations in Florence! and Florida, Orlando still blooming in October! We also have a little blog about Dolce Far Niente on the Amalfi Coast. Discover our hometown Iisalmi in Finland. If you want to escape the crowds and chill like a Finn!
Thinking of hiring a car in Spain, Italy, Portugal or Greece?
When traveling in Spain with the family we have very often rented a car with Centauro. We have rented a car with them in Alicante, Girona, and Malaga airports. We have been very happy with their service. They have not had any strange fees or dodgy deposits so we can truly recommend their service. Here is our Review of Centauro with all the Pros and Cons. I recommend maybe getting a bigger car to what we had on our trip in Salou. We had a Fiat 500 but it was very easy to park anywhere! The above is an affiliate link so I may earn from any qualified purchases. Also the Hotels.com link is an affiliate.
You can check out the Spanish Iberia Airlines options and winter vacation offers from the US at this affiliate link.